The Problem With Wuthering Heights

First of all, I will say that there are some mild spoilers here but I haven’t ruined any plot points that aren’t fairly common knowledge.

Being a bit of a literature geek, it may surprise some people to know that I’ve only recently read Wuthering Heights. This is mainly because until the last few years, I had a bit of a rampant dislike of the idea of “costume drama” novels. This was because I perceived that it was mainly rich people swanning about being in love and wearing daft bonnets.

Exhibit A.

So, having learnt that not all literature is frilly bonneted, I quickly became a keen fan of Jane Eyre and thought it time to branch out on my Brontë. Wuthering Heights is a book that has polarised most of the people I know – in other words, a marmite book. Having now read it, I can see why. So lets first say, I enjoyed it. It’s exciting and the characters are interesting, believable and it is the strength of the characterisation that pulls the story along. Before I continue though, I must make a simple point that all new readers, frilly bonneted costume drama lovers and hopeless romantics must know now and deal with.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS IS NOT A ROMANCE NOVEL!

But the moors! The brooding! Heathcliff! Cathy! I hear you say? – NO. Not a romance. If I were to pick a genre I’d go for family saga or slow burning revenge novel. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we’ll stop having disappointed romantics cluttering up the place. Yes Heathcliff and Catherine are in love but that takes up quite a small chunk of the book. I would say it is the catalyst for the events of the story rather than the story itself.

So Brooding! Be still my beating heart!

Cathy (who I am going to refer to as Catherine henceforth to avoid confusion with her daughter as it is clearer and she is mainly referred to by that name in the book anyway) is not a likeable character. Good. She’s petty, vain and self interested – not really the features you want from a romantic protagonist. Heathcliff is obsessive to put it mildly, fanatical and dangerous to put it accurately. Wuthering Heights is to my mind, an exploration of their trainwreck of a love affair, Heathcliff’s revenge and eventual decline into self-ruin before the generation after has a chance to pick up some of the pieces.

Romantic eh? Nothing says cute couple like corpse desecration, dog hanging and family ruination. I like Heathcliff though. I like him because he’s not a dashing hero but a deeply flawed and troubled man who doesn’t pretend to be anything else. That’s refreshing. I think a lot of popular culture tries a bit too hard to redeem him. We’re like abuse victims who ignore the abuser’s violence because deep down he has a heart of gold and will treat us the way we deserve… A bit of an extreme metaphor but we need to deal with the fact that Heathcliff isn’t brooding and troubled, he’s messed up.

So with this in mind, I want to say that I’m quite a fan of the new adaptation by Andrea Arnold.

It’s nice to see a traditional book told as though it’s a brand new story. It’s also nice to see that they’ve shown life on the windswept moors as cold, muddy and hard. Also muddy. Did I mention mud? This is a film that likes to remind us that if Heathcliff and Catherine are running around on the moors, then they’re getting wet feet.

So it’s grim oop north then? Well yes. This isn’t just Wuthering Heights as social realism though (the kitchen sink drama that British film seems to enjoy so much). It is beautifully shot and focuses heavily on the moorlands. There are wonderful shots of the animal and plant life that surrounds the characters. As characters live, die, and love, the moor is always there. It seems to reflect their emotions but is at the same time exists as a reminder that whoever anyone marries, it will still be there – bleak, windswept and covered in mud.

So yes, I joke about the mud but the mud is part of the other thing I like about this film. It’s sensual and tactile. Everything suggests texture, sensation and smell. It’s passionate in such a physical way that is a million miles away from delicate empire line dresses, turns of the room and discussions of good matches over bone china. Heathcliff and Catherine are not the most likeable of characters but they have a solidity that is refreshing. You care about them because they are tangible.

If you get the chance to watch it, I’d really recommend it. It’s a good cast and well thought out. If you want to read some useful reviews go for it. If you want to listen to an idiot who hasn’t read the book and likes bonnets, try this. How dare people in a period drama swear! Clearly such things are a purely modern invention… Silly woman. As for the book, go for it. Emily Brontë is an excellent writer and the characters are great. Just don’t expect a romance novel.

And to finish I'd recommend anyone who's read it and wants a laugh, to have a look at this, this and this over at Hark! A Vagrant! as the wonderful K. Beaton is currently doing some great comics about it.

I will also end on this because eventually any discussion of Emily Brontë's novel ends with Kate Bush. To make up for putting the song in your head (sorry!) Here is Noel Fielding's version.

A Cruel and Kindly Wind

Because there are benches that face the sea
Where you sit windswept and wild
And sometimes the gulls can only haunt the sky
Because the waves are cold against your skin
And the cobbles smooth the tread on your shoes
Because you stand beneath the rain
And haunt familiar corners
On these days the sea will not release you
Nor the cold wind leave your bones
Because the sand remains in every crack
And the salt sets tangles in your hair